Thermal regulation of an ion implantation system

Abstract

A thermoregulation system for an ion implantation system to reduce the temperature in the ion implanter and components therein, or attached thereto, to a temperature at which an ion source material, used in the ion implanter, has a vapor pressure that yields a reduced concentration of vapors. Such arrangement markedly reduces the risk of exposure to harmful vapors from the ion source material.

Description

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The present invention relates to an ion implantation system, and more particularly, to thermal regulation of an ion implantation system to reduce the temperature therein and to minimize the risk of exposure to harmful vapors.[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art[0005] Numerous semiconductor manufacturing processes employ ion implantation for forming a p-n junction by adding dopants (impurities), such as boron (B) and phosphorus (P) to a semiconductor substrate. Ion implantation makes it possible to accurately control the concentration and depth of impurities to be diffused into a target spot on the semiconductor substrate.[0006] Typically, an ion implanter includes an ion source that ionizes an atom or molecule of the material to be implanted. The generated ions are accelerated to form an ion beam that is directed toward a target, such as a silicon chip or wafer, and impacts a desired area or pattern on the target. The entire operation is ca...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the time required to service an ion implanter instrument.

[0021] A further object of the present invention is to provide shallow implantation depth without the problems normally associated with a low energy beam, such as expanding of the ion beam and the resulting negative effects.

[0026] In one preferred embodiment of t he present invention, the ion source housing is connected to a cooling device to reduce the temperature of the housing structure, interior and components therein or attached thereto, to a temperature whereat the vapor pressure of the source material is considered safe and / or the risk of inhalation of vapors from the source material is acceptable.

[0029] In yet another embodiment, a vapor monitor may be connected to the ion implanter at strategic components along a path of the generated ion beam including, without limitation, at a cool down vaporizer attachment to the ion source housing, an ion source housing, and output vacuum lines, to monitor and verify vapor concentrations of an ion source material and provide another safeguard against possible exposure to a hazardous gas.

Problems solved by technology

As such, these smaller and thinner requirements challenge the ability of present systems to produce high dose ion beams with the low energy required to implant a high concentration of ions at a shallow depth in the semiconductor device

However, low energy ion beams are used for shallow implants, but, for standard dopant atomic ions at low beam energies, ion current is constrained by physics limitations associated with extraction and transport losses

However, as beam energy decreases to accommodate thinner devices, beam transport of standard ions, defined as dopants, such as boron (B.sup.+), arsenic (As.sup.+) and phosphorus (P.sup.+), becomes inefficient due to beam space charge.

However, the use of heavy molecular ions, such as decaborane, creates some unique health and safety challenges.

For example, the vapor pressure of decaborane is low at room temperature (at the threshold limit value), and can be hazardous at modestly elevated temperatures.

Due to the high cost of owning an ion implant system and the need to minimize down time, sources are frequently removed at temperatures significantly above room temperature.

Toxic solids with thermally sensitive vapor pressure, like decaborane, are not routinely used at present, but the removal of a warm walled source with decaborane deposits would present a serious safety risk.

Opening the system before cooling to room temperature may introduce a number of serious health issues dependent upon the ion source materials.

As described hereinabove, the use of decaborane, although not as hazardous as some, still creates some unique health and safety challenges.

Although decaborane is reduced into harmless boron at refractory temperatures, at temperatures ranging between refractory and slightly about room temperature, the possibility of deposits on components of an ion implant system can pose a potential health hazard.

As such, if the ion source chamber is not completely cooled to room temperature, or below, and decaborane deposits are present, an immediate health hazard is encountered.

The implied cost of waiting hours for the ion source to cool to room temperature would be a significant barrier to adoption of decaborane technology in semiconductor manufacturing.

Also, it is obvious that removing a decaborane ion source at elevated temperatures would create an immediate inhalation hazard to personnel.

Also, evaporated decaborane could contaminate the surrounding work area.

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